Monday, May 9, 2011

Community. A topic that may have been covered prior, but I feel a need to talk about it either way.

I am finding, as I near the end of school, a struggle to find ideas and enthusiasm for my final projects. The machinations of my creativity have, of late, ground to a slow and laborious cadence, threatening to drop with the finish line in sight and surcease the necessary impetus that will carry me through to the end. In short, I am burned out. To that end, I find it necessary more and more to rely on magazines, people, and the internet to help me find the necessary resources to draw upon to finish the work ahead and move from a academic environment to a professional one.

One thing I have recently taken a closer look at is a chart sent to me by my wife, Carlene, which if nothing else has supplied me with new websites to supply additional spark to the engines of my creativity. The chart is from blog.smartpress.com and I find that it does help. One thing I would like more of is a stronger connection to a design community and have the option to sit and share thoughts on design as well as sharing sites and printed matter I have found. My wife often sends me links to designers and artists she thinks I would like and I try to do likewise with others. This community of sharing is not something I have done too often in the past but is something I am trying to do more often.

Simply put, I wanted to write on the importance of taking inspiration in whatever form comes and always looking for new sources that can help one move on to the next project.

I feel the same about being burnt out since it is the end of the year and for those of us who are seniors and graduating I think it is safe to say that senioritis is in full effect! Finding inspiration may be tough at times but sometimes the blogs have been helping me to find inspiration for my project. I really like the Graphic Designers Road Map that you posted, it is definitely helpful! Don't get to discouraged, the end is near!!

I agree with Shanna. James website is going to be a great way to be involved in a design community. And for the facebook group, its nice to have somewhere to go that is right at your fingertips, since I am on facebook often.

Good infographic, Tony. Like my post last week I really enjoy looking at information in an easy to comprehend way and this is even better because it brings people's knowledge into our realm of inspiration and hopefully helps us.

I know what you mean about being burnt out. Someday it will be worth it.

It always helps me to think about the Little Engine that Could..."I think I can I think I can..." But seriously, I agree. We're getting to that point in our college career where we're antsy to get out in the real world and design stuff that will be utilized!

I realized only very recently that I lack a really good community to rely upon for tossing around ideas for my visual creative work. I've long had a community of close writer friends and musician friends, but not so much so when it comes to visuals. And while I think I've done pretty okay for myself so far on my own, being in class with y'all and talking to professors has made me realize that I could go a lot farther with a network of visual art folks to call upon when the need be.